Under Sunlight
by quietpagan
Summary: Jim Lake isn't sure what to do when he rescues a troll from being turned to stone in his own backyard, and is introduced to an entire world underneath his feet. He certainly didn't expect to find a family. Rated T for future violence and language. No ships.
1. Chapter 1

It was the biggest fear of every troll, daylight. Such a simple, beautiful thing, but only from a distance seen – never touched. An excruciating, painful death, said to last a thousand years in a few instances.

No one was quite sure what power made trolls so vulnerable to the thing that gave the Earth life. Perhaps because they were creatures of the underground, the stone and the rock, so they could never step above in the light. Some particularly dismal factions believed that trolls did something horrendous in the past, giving the gods cause to kill them with something so warm and pure, forcing them into the darkness where they belonged. Others said that daylight itself was a curse, too hot and too bright, and that trolls were blessed to be given a sense for the gems and the stones of the celebrated earth, their eyes attuned to every nuance of shadow, their ears hearing the heartbeat of the world itself.

Whatever the reason was, trolls could not touch the sunlight without it turning their living stone still and cold, until they calcified into lifeless rock. So beautiful, but so deadly.

 _And so incredibly inconvenient_ , thought the troll attempting to dodge death in a small Californian suburb.

The main problem with daylight was that it snuck up on you. You didn't realize that it was getting brighter – _too_ bright – until the sun was upon you, and then it was too late.

The troll jumped a fence and slid down the wood, taking a moment to catch his breath in the shadowy reprieve. He didn't have much time. In a few minutes, if he couldn't find a safe route, he would probably die. But in order to get to safety, he would have to pass through the neighborhood and the tiny town beyond, in full view of the denizens there, thus exposing himself and his people.

He was exposed whatever he did, unfortunately. At some point a human would look out their window to see a statue of a four-armed creature having mysteriously appeared in their backyard. By now it was just a matter of deciding if getting caught alive was worth _possibly_ making it to safety. One errant ray, one streak of sunlight through the buildings, and he was dead anyway.

The wood on his back had warmed considerably during his musing, and he quickly dashed away from it, hiding in the shadow of a tree, but a bit of sun caught one of his elbows and he cried out, slamming against the tree trunk as he jerked away.

His elbow sparkled blue for a moment, but the damage was already fading, if a little sore. It was a sobering reminder of what was at stake.

He was too afraid to cry and too despaired to rage at the unfairness of it. He'd only stayed out too late raiding the humans' public library! His price for the stolen books, it seemed, was going to be very steep indeed.

The morning sun began to filter through the leaves of the trees, and he tried to make himself as small as he could without putting any limbs out from the tree's shadow.

Up ahead of him, the west side of the house was dark. There was a large garbage can tucked against the fence; it wouldn't hide him forever, it was too small, but he'd have more time to think of a way to get back home.

Unfortunately, the path between the tree and the fence was washed in early morning light. He could make the distance if he was fast, but he'd take serious damage to his right side, and if he _wasn't_ fast enough he'd turn to stone before ever reaching the shadow.

The light was already reaching around the trunk of the tree, so he didn't have much of a choice, but the knowledge of exactly how painful the sprint was going to be made him hesitate.

 _Utterly, utterly useless. Just do it. Do it. Run. Go. Go!_

" _GO!"_ he yelled, and he ran out from under cover of the tree.

The sunlight hit him immediately and he screamed in the pain, bright blue lightening crackling over his skin and blinding him. He turned his head and bolted as fast as he could, but realized within a split second that he had underestimated the distance and overestimated how fast his short legs could run. He wouldn't make it. He was already shaking with the pain, and he collapsed only a few yards away from his goal.

He closed his eyes against the sunlight and curled into a crouch, his turning skin making him stiff and slow.

It all happened in an instant.

Then a soft, smooth sound echoed in his one working ear, and something light draped itself over his entire body. The sunlit grass under his hands suddenly was drenched in shadow, and the horrible pain stopped. He wasn't dead.

Something – or some _one_ – had covered him with a cloth. By the smell of flowery soap and skin cells, it was the bedsheet of a human whelp.

The front of the sheet rustled and a tiny face peeked underneath the fabric, wide eyes meeting wide eyes.

"My name's Jim," the little human whispered, patting his spindly fingers over the troll's face.

And Blinky…blinked.

.

* * *

.

Jim had been eating cereal when he saw the monster in the backyard, having trailed downstairs, still wrapped in his bedsheet, to watch the early cartoons.

His mother was already at work, even though it was a Saturday. She trusted him to look after himself as long as he didn't turn on the stove or the oven, because he was nine and hadn't set anything on fire for years. He still used the stove and the oven, because he was _nine_ and knew how to use them perfectly fine, and his mom didn't notice most of the time.

But he liked eating cereal while he watched cartoons on weekend mornings, and that's how he saw the monster.

It jumped over the fence first and then sat for a bit, before running and hiding behind a tree. It was really too big for the tree, and as it got brighter and brighter and the monster tried to make itself smaller and smaller, Jim realized that it was afraid of the daylight.

The monster looked at the fence that led to the front yard, and Jim knew it was going to run for it. He dropped his cereal and ran for the back door, unlocking it and sprinting outside just as the monster ran out from the tree's shadow. It sparkled with blue light and screamed in pain, and Jim swept his sheet off over his shoulders and onto the monster, sheltering it from the sun.

The monster stayed still and crouched and Jim worried that it hadn't worked; was it too hurt? Was he too late to save it? He peeked under the edge of the sheet and met three pairs of frightened brown eyes.

They were screwed up and watering in pain, the ones on the right half-closed. The monster's face was _huge_ ; Jim screwed up his face as it panted shakily, but his mom had said that it wasn't polite to tell people that they smelled after that time with Toby's nana.

The monster just looked at him and he told it, "My name's Jim," just to get it to calm down. The monster's left eyes blinked. He wasn't sure if it understood him. Part of its face, the half where the sun had hit, was grey and sparkled slightly, and Jim tried to touch the sparkles before they disappeared. The skin under his fingers was hard and cold.

He shifted the sheet further to grab the monster's hand, but when he touched it, he realized it too was made of stone.

The monster made a low moan of pain, and Jim grabbed the other hand. It took a while because he had to make sure the sheet stayed put, but he eventually got the monster inside the house.

Of course, now this meant that he had a monster _inside his house_.

He still was afraid of monsters under his _bed_ and he'd just taken a monster inside his house.

The monster stood up with a groan, and Jim felt afraid of it for the first time. The sheet slid off of its shoulders and pooled on the floor around its feet. It was very tall, and it had _four_ arms. The only clothing it was wearing were shorts with big side pockets and suspenders; Jim had only ever seen suspenders on old people. The monster looked itself over, poking gently at the limbs that had stone crusted over them, and then turned all six eyes on Jim. It bent down halfway, a grimace of pain crossing its face, and then gave him a tiny, but grateful, smile.

"Young whelp, you have saved my life," it said, in a deep, smooth voice. "I owe you a debt of gratitude."

It straightened back up, and bowed its head.

"I am known as Blinky," it – _he_ – said, and then he collapsed against the wall.

"Ah."

But Jim was already rushing to the kitchen, shutting all of the curtains as he went. He got a glass of water, to get the monster re-hidred…re - _hydrated_ , and quickly soaked a dishtowel in the sink. He ran back over to Blinky and slapped the towel over his face.

"Ow, my eyes…"  
"Here's some water," Jim said, shoving the glass into one of Blinky's left hands. Blinky slid himself into a sitting positing and gulped down the water, and then ate the glass.

"I thank you," he said shakily.

"It's…okay," mumbled Jim. "Um. What are you?"  
"I am a troll,young human," said Blinky, taking the towel off of his face and wiping it over his stone arms. "We live in secrecy underground, so that humans such as yourself are not sensible to our existence."

 _A troll!_

Jim watched in utter amazement as the troll raided his kitchen, eating - not the food - but the contents of the recycle bin and the trash can, as well as the flytrap from the window and the empty box Jim gave him as he finished off the cereal.

He was the weirdest-looking thing Jim had ever seen, and he'd peered into his mother's med-school textbooks more than once. His head took up almost a third of his entire body, and he had short, stubby little legs to carry him around. His skin was blue where it wasn't stone, and there were lines carved right onto it. He had huge teeth, so big that they didn't completely fit into his mouth, and his four hands only had four fingers each.

Blinky chatted as he ate, roaming around the kitchen but stalwartly avoiding the windows, as well as the actual topic of trolls.

"As I've said, young master Jim, trolls such as I live in secrecy, and so I am unable to further educate you on our world. The mere fact that I've interacted with you is an unconscionable offense."

Jim didn't know what that meant, but he wasn't deterred. As Blinky munched on a handful of old batteries, he sat himself down on the couch and kept asking questions.

"What's it like having six eyes?"

Blinky paused from squirting whipped cream on top of a lightbulb, and blinked the three eyes that he could move.

"I suppose it is similar to having only _two_ eyes, but…three times as much. I've never truly thought of it. It is normal for _me."_

He then smiled at Jim, and gestured the lightbulb.

"Tell me, if we are exchanging questions: what do you think of me so far? Surely this is frightening for you."

Jim shrugged.

"You're not really scary," he said. Blinky chuckled and looked down at himself.

"No," he said, "To trolls, certainly I am not. But to a human, especially one as young and small as yourself, I would think even a goblin would be scary."

"You've been pretty nice," said Jim. "And you ate all our recycling, so I don't have to put out the can tomorrow. Aren't you cutting your tongue?"  
Blinky shook his head, his overlarge teeth crunching the lightbulb to dust.

"Trolls are made of living stone," Blinky said, tapping his fingers against an arm to make a stony sound. "And I will reveal no more. It would be better for you to know as little of us as possible, for the safety of yourself and of trollkind."  
"But you're going to be stuck here all day," said Jim, putting his feet up on the couch. "I've never met a troll before! Can't you tell me anything?"  
Blinky shook his head. He looked around the room and made a beeline to the bookshelves in the living room, having finally run out of refuse to eat. Bits of his right side were slowly, slowly turning from grey to blue, and he rubbed his hurt arms.

"You should continue on as if nothing had happened," he said. "I shall have to remain here until night falls, but your day does not have to be spent entertaining such an unexpected guest. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself while you go about your day."  
"I was just going to hang out with Toby," said Jim. "He's my best friend. We were gonna play video games. But I…"

Blinky turned around a bit and caught Jim's eye.

He really didn't want to just leave and play video games when there was a _magic troll_ in his house. Maybe he could get a little more out of him about trolls, maybe not, but it would be weird to just…go back to normal, like he hadn't met Blinky at all. Things were different now. He couldn't just _leave_.

"Actually, while my sojourn to the human world has been extended…"

Jim wrenched himself from his thoughts and looked at Blinky, who was leaning against the wall next to a window.

"Mmm?"  
"Would you mind too terribly fetching my books out of the back yard? There," he said, pointing when Jim got up and twitched open the curtain. Blinky shot back from the glass, but the sun wasn't even shining in the window yet.

"Er, there, yes – by the fence."  
"Gotcha."

Jim padded out the back door and picked up the books that were jumbled on the ground by the fence.

"'Arcadia Oaks Public Library…'?"

He went back inside and handed the books to Blinky, who dusted the grass clippings off onto the floor.

"You went to the library?"  
"Of course!" Blinky exclaimed, opening one of the books to shake out any debris. "Why else would one such as myself venture into the human realm? Your public library is quite extensive for such a small town."

"You have a library card?"  
Blinky, to his credit, looked guilty.

"Well, er…I _do_ return the books in a timely manner," he muttered. Jim looked at him. Blinky looked back. Jim raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, it's not as if I'm stealing a Gutenberg Bible," said Blinky, hugging the books to his chest.

"I won't tell anyone," said Jim, looking curiously at the pile. "What are you reading?"

Blinky couldn't have looked happier than if it were his birthday come early.

"Well, I've gotten this _wonderful_ history of the Quaker settlements in New Jersey," he said, toting the books to the living room and turning on the desk lamp, since the closed curtains made the room pretty dark. He sat down on one end of the couch and handed Jim the book when he took the other. "As well as a book on metalworking techniques across Europe and the Middle East _and_ this beautiful little volume of poetry from the nineteen-fifties and sixties, the third in a series of four. It's only _just_ come back from being borrowed, I've been waiting for it for two months, the inconsiderate people kept _extending_ it…"

Jim flipped through the metalworking book, his eyes drawn to the armor and swords.

"Ah, yes. Do you notice that detail on the nineteenth Chinese _Dao_ , there? Such intricate engraving is prized by many a troll blacksmith!"

"Is that how you got your…" Jim waved a hand at the lines carved into Blinky's skin. He looked very pleased.

"Indeed, young master! I shan't tell you much, but trolls are very fond of decoration and detail. Our tattoos are a cultural necessity."

 _They looked like they hurt,_ Jim thought, but he didn't say anything. He hadn't really seen many people with tattoos. Blinky even had them on his _face_.

They studied the book until it was finished, and then Blinky settled into the couch to read while Jim quietly made a phone call.

"Toby…"  
 _"Hey, Jim! What's keepin' ya, you're late, dude!"  
_ "Tobes, I…uh, I don't feel so good today. I'm just going to stay home, okay?"  
" _No problem-o. Did you call your mom? Do you need me to bring you anything? My nana made some soup a few days ago."  
_ Jim risked a glance at Blinky, who looked completely absorbed in an enormous historical fiction book.

"…I think I'll just go back to bed," Jim said. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"  
" _Yeah, sure Jimbo. Call me if you need anything. And don't forget to call your mom!"_

"'Kay. Bye, Tobes."

Jim hung up the phone and rushed up the stairs, closing his bedroom door behind him before going over to the bookshelf.

He'd tell Toby about everything later, despite what Blinky said. Toby was good at keeping secrets, and he felt really guilty about lying to him and skipping out on their plans, but what was he supposed to do? Just leave to play _Go Go Sushi_ and forget about the _seven-foot troll in his living room?_

Jim gathered up an armful of books he thought Blinky might like to see and headed back downstairs. He stopped in the kitchen to make two cups of tea, and then set the books down on the coffee table.

"Oh, what's this," Blinky muttered, using a finger to mark his place while he examined the pile.

"Some of mine," said Jim. "I like science fiction a lot, but I like old westerns, too. What's your favorite?"  
Blinky examined a graphic novel with an appreciative smile.

"I prefer historical fictions myself," he said, holding up his own book. "But these graphic novels are very beautiful. Have you read _V for Vendetta_ or _Watchmen?_ I hear they are rather well-known amongst you humans."

Jim shook his head.

"Well, they're – what is your age, exactly, young Jim?"  
"I'm nine."

Blinky looked a little stunned, and gently put the novel back down on the pile.

"Perhaps not _yet,_ then. They are rather suited for an older audience. Ah ha! Asimov? _"_

"We had to read it for class," said Jim. "I liked the robot."  
"I have not read most of these," said Blinky, and Jim suddenly worried that he didn't like them. Maybe they were childish – how old was Blinky, anyway? Jim wanted him to like the books. Toby didn't really like to read and his mom was always busy, so he never got to talk about his favorite books with anyone. Maybe Blinky would like some of his mom's novels?

But Blinky was already picking up one of Jim's favorites, a time-travelling western, and had started on the first chapter. So Jim picked up another, took a sip of his tea, and settled down to read as well.

Unfortunately, he couldn't concentrate on his book as well as he would have liked. He simply couldn't get over the fact that there was a _troll._

 _In his living room._

Absently sipping a cooling cup of tea, with five eyes on the rapidly-turning pages of his book and the sixth that would occasionally glimpse over at Jim.

Would Blinky disappear forever? What if Jim distracted him long enough for Blinky to meet his mom? Or he called Toby to come over?

"I appear to be distracting you from your reading, young human."

Jim looked up guiltily; Blinky was smiling.

"I understand that…this is certainly an unforgettable experience. But the less I involve you, the better. There are trolls much more dangerous and less accepting than I. To allow you to know about our world would put both us and yourself at risk."  
"You said," murmured Jim. "But I'm _good_ at keeping secrets! I promise I wouldn't tell anyone."  
Blinky looked mildly uncomfortable at this.  
"As reassuring as that may be, I would not wish you to have to lie to your family and friends. Secrecy can be damaging, and I would not choose you to have to use it any more than is necessary."

Jim chewed on the inside of his cheek. He didn't like the idea of lying to his mom or to Toby either. But he couldn't just leave it be.

"So…what's your favorite color?"  
Blinky softly sighed, and closed his book.

"It is green, master Jim. I find the color soothing and peaceful. Yourself?"

.

* * *

.

They spent the next several hours talking and reading, as the sun migrated from window to window. Blinky wouldn't tell Jim anything about trolls or their society, but he was significantly open about his own interests. Jim found out about his deep respect for humankind, even if he was rather derisive about some of humanity's beliefs and physical traits; he told the troll about his mom's busy work and described the graduation ceremony he'd attended last year; Blinky revealed his desire to drive a car, and was very disappointed to learn that Jim couldn't get a driver's permit for seven more years.

They discovered a mutual interest in mechanics, and Jim brought down several of his motor magazines and the little blue Vespa model his mom had given him last Christmas. They discussed the various highs and lows about scooters and motorcycles from different countries and manufacturers, and the advantages and disadvantages of scooters vs cars.

Jim assured Blinky's eventual return by pressing upon him several of his mother's novels and medical texts so that the troll would have to return them, not noticing that Blinky later wrote down the names of the books and quietly left them on a corner of the bookshelf.

They managed to get in a few hours of reading, now that their mutual curiosity was more or less satisfied, and Jim didn't realize that nightfall was upon them until he came back from making another cup of tea, and found the living room empty and Blinky and his library books gone.

.

.

* * *

.

A/N: I AM TRASH FOR SPIDER BOOKWORM DAD, K?

I love how Jim cooks these nice, elaborate, tasty meals for Toby and his mom, but literally all he's eaten himself is fucking cereal. He also feeds Strickler cereal, just because he doesn't want to waste his mom's good food on him.

Imma start this off by saying that I have never been around children and have absolutely no living clue how a nine-year-old is supposed to talk or act. If he was a cat it might be better, but children are completely out of my experience. I don't even remember being a child. I don't even remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday. Where am I going with this. I completely don't understand children. Are they even sentient by nine? Probably. Don't they scream a lot? I know fuck-all about kids, so if Jim sounds too young or too old, please forgive me.

Anyway. This was a story I came up with while walking to my mom's house and I was daydreaming bc wouldn't it be cool, to see this random monster in the backyard, rescue it from the sunlight, and become best pals? I don't have the energy to make another oc right now, so here's some Spider Bookworm Dad and a possibility of Trollhuter!Barbara later on, if I get that far.


	2. Chapter 2

Blinky made it to the underpass before the first stars began to appear, his lungs burning and his legs quivering underneath him, still in pain from the healing sun-stains. He'd been keeping one eye on the curtained windows of the boy's house the entire day, and as soon as it began to get dark and young Jim turned his back, he ran. He ran until he was through the town, through the woods, and down the sides of the canal. He had to wade through a few inches of water from a previous rain, but he made it to the secret entrance to Trollmarket and opened the door without damaging his books or getting caught.

Honestly he wanted nothing more than to huddle in his library and curl up in AAARRRGGHH's arms, but he slid down the portal wall as soon as it closed and just sat, catching his breath and waiting for his working hands to stop shaking.

 _He had been seen._

And oh, great Deya's eyes, he'd _interacted_ with a human. And granted, it wasn't the worst thing in the world, or even the first time, but it _was_ the first time he'd spent an entire day _chatting_ and reading with one of the denizens of the world above, and although the human had been a weak and open-minded child, he was still unnerved by the encounter.

What if the boy told his mother about Blinky? His friends? The local law enforcement? His _dental hygienist?!_

But there was no use in picking over the terrible consequences, not when there was nothing he could do about it now, so he picked himself up and dusted off his books, the objects of blame for the whole blasted situation.

 _Who knew that a few volumes of poetry and historical fiction could get a troll into such trouble…_

The journey through the market was uneventful, as he had expected; Blinky was known for holing himself up for days at a time, and so he doubted that anyone but AAARRRGGHH would have noticed his absence.

The situation turned out to be not _quite_ as unceremonious as he'd believed, however, when he made it to his quarters and discovered Bagdwella, Vendel, and a few of Blinky's acquaintances rallying around AAARRRGGHH, who seemed to be gathering them for a search party. Blinky realized that they believed him dead possibly, or in hiding at the least, having been trapped above ground for an entire day.

He squeezed through the crowd and AAARRRGGHH immediately rushed to his side, picking him up and rubbing his face into Blinky's chest. Blinky's books scattered to the ground and he pat his friend's head, never having been gladder to see him.

"Blinky! Alive!"  
"Yes, indeed I am, my dear friend," Blinky murmured through the cheers of the tiny crowd. Through the strands of AAARRRGGHH's wiry mane he saw the Trollhunter's son Draal roll his eyes and stomp away with a curse, while Vendel was smiling at them.

"Blinkous Galadrigal, perhaps you would care to enlighten as to what trouble you've been up to now. You have stirred up quite a lot of worry," he said, his relieved smile belying his harsh tone. He nudged Blinky's ill-gotten books with the end of his staff, and shook his head with a disgruntled snort.

"I should have known you'd almost get yourself killed for a few pages of reading material," he murmured.

Bagdwella picked up the books and gave them back to Blinky when he finally managed to wriggle out of AAARRRGGHH's hold. He hid his still stiff and grey hands behind his back as AAARRRGGHH shuffled close behind him, taking the books with his left while trying not to let Bagdwella see the right side of his face.

"Nearly caused a crack in the Heartstone you did, you stubborn fool," she said fondly, clapping him on the shoulder. Her sharp nails dug into his arms. "If you _ever_ pull a trick like that again, _I_ will kill you _myself."_  
Blinky carefully extracted himself from her grip with a nervous smile.

"I do promise, Bagdwella," he said, "Although I believe we both know that my absence truly would not cause much of a stir."  
"Untrue, Blinky."

Blinky jumped.

In the midst of the crowding trolls, he had not noticed Kanjigar's presence.

 _Idiotic._

A troll, _any_ troll, missing above ground would certainly be a call for the Trollhunter to perform his duty, whether it was to save the wayward imbecile or bring back their body.

Kanjigar extracted himself from the shadows beside the wall. He'd been allowing AAARRRGGHH to lead the group, Blinky realized, offering guidance and support but relinquishing command to the former general and best friend of the missing troll in question. Blinky had always admired Kanjigar, not only for his immense skills as Trollhunter but for his passion for knowledge and kindness toward those he served, and his esteem for the troll grew even more.

Kanjigar smiled down at his history teacher.

"You are a valuable member of this community, Blinky," he said, "As well as a most beloved friend. Your death would not have gone unnoticed, nor uncared for."

AAARRRGGHH's chest rumbled against his back, and Blinky felt a warmth at the Trollhunter's words.

"Thank you, Master Kanjigar," he said quietly, and looked around the tiny group. "My thanks to you all. To know that I have such gracious friends is as warming as it is humbling."

"Hmmph. Your thanks is unnecessary, Blinkous," said Vendel. " _I_ simply am wondering, as I know we all are, what exactly happened."

Blinky opened his mouth to explain, and then shut it with a _click_ of teeth.

He couldn't tell them about Jim.

How could he look Kanjigar in the eyes, the protector of the troll and human worlds, and tell him that he had so badly compromised their safety and secrecy?

But then again, as Kanjigar peered at him calmly and Bagdwella speared him with her gaze, how could he lie? Vendel at the very least would know that he was hiding something.

"I…well, I…"

"Spit it out, Blinky," said Bagdwella.

"Well, I…er, managed to abscond into a small shed in a suburban backyard," Blinky said, chuckling nervously.

"Absented…?" said AAARRRGGHH. Vendel's half-blind eyes were still on Blinky's and he felt like withering away. He _hated_ how Vendel always made him feel like a naughty child.

" _Absconded_ ," he murmured under his breath. " _Means to hide or secret away."_

"You should be more careful, Blinky," said Kanjigar softly, his strong gaze telling Blinky nothing about whether he believed the story or not. His eyes wandered over the right side of Blinky's face, which he was trying to keep turned away, and then to the hands he was hiding behind his back.

"I know you often make these trips, but this one cut it too close. You could have been seen by a human or even by _Bular_ , not to mention being felled by sunlight. You are smarter than this, I know."

"It won't happen again, Master Kanjigar."

AAARRRGGHH's breath ruffled his hair as Kanjigar gave him one last piercing look and took his leave, Bagdwella clinging to his side and asking him to do her a small favor.

Vendel looked like he was about to say something, and then thought better of it, shaking his head with a wearied sigh.

"Sometimes you get into more trouble than even the Trollhunter," he muttered. "I hope those little books were worth it. Get some rest, Blinkous. I'm sure you had a _trying_ day, to say the least."

When he left AAARRRGGHH followed Blinky back to his quarters, even though they had always been a little small for the larger troll.

The crystal lights brightened with Blinky's touch, and he set his books down on a pile of yet-to-be-read. AAARRRGGHH carefully picked his way through the crowded rooms with practiced ease, and settled down on the pile of mats Blinky kept for him.

His lower right thumb softly tapped against the title of his new weapons book, before he spun around and shuffled over to AAARRRGGHH.

"My friend, I have to tell you something."

AAARRRGGHH nodded with a knowing look. He reached around Blinky and gently poked Blinky's right ear, which was still stiff and grey with stone.

"Something happened," he said. Blinky ran his upper left hand down his face and hugged his middle with the other.

"I was very nearly killed," Blinky said, rubbing at his aching arms.

"Got caught by sunlight. Need medicine?"

Shaking his head, Blinky slowly settled down on the edge of the mats and felt large fingers prodding and kneading at the painful spots.

"A human whelp saved my life," he whispered.

AAARRRGGHH's hands paused, and he bent down to look Blinky in the face.

" _Seen?!"_

"A nine-year-old child," Blinky wailed, hanging his head and gesturing wildly. "He threw a bedsheet over me to save me from the sunlight. We spent the day reading and drinking _tea_."

AAARRRGGHH was silent for several minutes after Blinky's outburst. He continued to rub at the stone patches on Blinky's arms and side, until some of the stiffness was released.

Blinky knew it was difficult information to take in; he himself wasn't sure how to proceed. He certainly could never have kept the truth from his deepest companion, but what would happen now? Would they have to check in on the child to make sure he had kept his vow of secrecy? Should they expect a hoard of humans to be tromping through the underground, on the lookout for a four-armed monster and his kin?

"So," rumbled AAARRRGGHH, his fingers gently scanning over the bits of stone on Blinky's face.

"No medicine then?"

This startled a laugh out of him. No, no medicine for poor Blinky, because if he went to Vendel for cures to stone-stains he'd be in trouble for sure.

They settled down on the mats to sleep, Blinky curled in a ball against AAARRRGGHH's immense chest, even though it was the very start of the evening. But Blinky _was_ tired and in pain, and a full day of worrying had exhausted his friend as well.

But Blinky, held in the strongest embrace in Trollmarket, finally safe and home, could not sleep. He couldn't help but think about the quiet hours he and the boy had spent reading, content with each other's company, asking questions about the others' world. How very _lonely_ that house had been.

Blinky shifted until he was facing AAARRRGGHH, who cracked an eye open at his movements. Biting his lip, Blinky took a breath and looked up at his face.

"My friend," he said quietly, "I would like you to meet the whelp."

.

.

* * *

.

.

Jim stared at the empty room until he was sure he wouldn't cry, and then he quietly cleaned up the teacups and books, fluffing the pillows on the couch and chair and replacing his and his mother's reading material on their respective shelves.

He should have known.

He should have _expected_ it.

Barbara arrived home about twenty minutes after he finished, her nose already sniffing out the leftover casserole he'd quickly plugged into the oven.

"Jim…"  
"I can use the _oven_ , Mom," he said, giving her a smile when she put down her keys. She rolled her eyes but looked happy enough.

"Most nine-year-olds don't even know _how_ to use an oven," she said. Jim handed her a set of plates and forks and she set them on the table in front of the couch. On the weekends Jim and Barbara would watch tv or a movie while they ate, if Jim wasn't spending the night with Toby or vice versa.

He dished out the casserole and they sat down on the couch, sticking in a DVD of _Monsters Inc_ after a brief disagreement between it and _Shrek._

Jim couldn't help but see the similarities between his and Sully's situations: finding something dangerous, rescuing it from trouble, making friends…the main difference was, the monster _stayed._ It didn't just _leave_ , with no warning and no goodbye.

Jim didn't hate Blinky, but he sure wanted to. He spent the whole day making friends with a monster and now it was gone, like nothing had ever happened.

Jim had to blink tears out of his eyes as he washed his plate, standing on the little stool his mom had gotten him.

He didn't understand. They'd been having so much fun, talking about their books and reading in the quiet room. Had he done something wrong? Maybe Blinky hadn't liked the books Jim had brought him, maybe he'd only been pretending, like when you got something really boring for Christmas and had to pretend to like it anyway.

Jim dried his plate and put it away, then bid his mother goodnight as she settled down to watch the evening news. On his way out the living room he paused, his eyes on the door to the garage. Behind a pile of Christmas boxes, there was a half-assembled bike collecting dust and dwindling hopes.

 _Had_ he done something wrong, something to make Blinky leave? Was it all his fault?

From his room he stared at the light that was Toby's bedroom window, a little patch of yellow against the black-blue night. Seeing a little hint of his friend, his best friend who stayed with him and made him laugh every year when his birthday came around, made him feel warmer…and lonelier.

Jim turned off the light in his room and slipped under his comforter, waving a silent 'goodnight' to Toby's window like usual.

He hadn't made it up.

He hadn't imagined it.

…He almost wished he did.

A quiet _tap_ - _tap_ echoed against the glass of his window, but Jim didn't think anything of it. He mused over the events of the day and what he had learned about the troll he found. Blinky said that he lived underground. What would happen if Jim went to find him? Would he be mad? Would there be other trolls? Would _they_ be mad?

The little tapping came again, and this time Jim bolted upright, scrambling for his flashlight and shining it out the window.

Blinky's huge head reared back from the glass, two of his hands covering his face as the others braced against the roof for balance.

" _My eyes!"_ he said, trying and failing to keep his screech of pain down. " _My six vulnerable eyes!"_  
"Blinky!"  
" _Glowing beam of misery!"_

" _Blinky!"_

The troll angrily rubbed his eyes, still moaning overdramatically. Jim huffed and pushed up his window, climbing onto his desk to grab Blinky by the arm and try to pull the heavy troll through the window.

"Ow. No, no…"

Blinky pulled back and clung to the windowsill as Jim peered out.

"What are you doing here? I thought you weren't, you know, coming back. Ever."

Blinky squinted at him guiltily.

"I admit that had been my initial intention," he whispered. "But you showed me immense kindness and generosity, and it ate at my mind to leave things so abruptly. So I…"  
He gestured over his shoulder with a glance. Jim adjusted his grip on the window and looked around Blinky. Over the edge of the roof waved a huge grey hand.

"I wondered…would you, perhaps, like to know more about Trollmarket?"

Jim's heart pounded with renewed hope.

"Is that where the trolls are? Really? Like, I can see it?"  
"Indeed. We will need to operate in the utmost of secrecy, but…"

Blinky glanced at the edge of the roof, where Jim could see the barest edge of a head of messy hair.  
"I do not wish for our acquaintance to end merely because we of different worlds. You granted me – an unknown and frightening creature – mercy, and proved yourself to be possessed of a stout heart. To not return that kindness is unacceptable."

Just as Blinky finished speaking, the other troll's large hand tapped on the roof.

"Car," he said in a rumbling voice. Jim shrank back as Blinky pressed himself against the outside wall, the brief light of a passing vehicle illuminating his eyes.

Jim slid off his desk and yanked on his shoes and bathrobe, jamming his flashlight, a pen, and his house keys into the pocket. He shooed Blinky away from the window and crawled over his desk. The troll grabbed his arms before he could slip on the roof tiles, and he was handed down to the troll Blinky had brought with him.

The other troll was HUGE, and way scarier-looking than Blinky was, but he didn't frighten Jim. He was covered in dark hair and had an enormous face that sported an even huger grin, and Jim thought he looked a bit like a plush toy.

The other troll lifted Blinky off of the roof. Blinky pat his shoulder.

"This, young human, is my dear companion AAARRRGGHH."

Jim wondered if he'd heard that right.

"Um. Argh?"  
"AAARRRGGHH," rumbled the huge troll, holding up three fingers of a hand larger than Jim's entire body.

"Three 'r's."  
"I gotcha," Jim giggled. He clawed his hands through the air. " _AAARRRGGHH!"  
_ "Good accent," said AAARRRGGHH, gently tapping his palm over Jim's head. Blinky looked at them like he couldn't believe his luck.

"I suppose that further introduction is unnecessary," he said. "Shall we begin our adventure?"  
"Yeah! I can't believe I'm actually going to Trollmarket!"

Jim quite liked the sound of an adventure. He felt a little guilty for sneaking out at night, but he was sure his mom would understand, if he could tell her. And he knew he couldn't tell her, even know he knew she'd like Blinky. Just because he was nine didn't mean he didn't know what secrets were. He had _plenty_ of secrets. He hadn't told anyone about Toby's Nana's secret stash of Mint Nougat Patties; he hadn't told anyone that Steve had pushed him out of his seat in Homeroom; he hadn't told his mom that he had stolen his dad's sweatshirt before she'd donated the rest of his things.

Just like he needed to keep the sweatshirt safe, he needed to keep Blinky safe. And that meant not telling anybody about his friend.

The trio ducked and wove through backyards and patches of parks until they stopped along the side of the canal, where Barbara had always told Jim never to play in case it flooded. AAARRRGGHH helped him down the side while Blinky pat at a part of the wall under the bridge.

Out from his pocket he drew a glowing yellow rock. Jim watched with amazement as he drew an arch in the wall and punched the center with two of his hands. The wall broke apart in swirling fragments, revealing a darkness within.

The dark was what made Jim nervous for the first time. He realized that he was out in the canal, at night, with two monsters he'd only just made friends with, and his mom didn't even know that he wasn't in bed.

AAARRRGGHH rumbled forward into the darkness, but Blinky knelt to Jim's level.

"If you wish to turn back, we shall," he said. "It will be no disappointment if you wish to go home, young Jim."

He wasn't lying; Jim knew grown-ups' lying-voice. He looked around Blinky's grey shoulder; inside the archway, a shimmer of blue glowed in the dark. He looked back at Blinky and shook his head.

"I wanna see Trollmarket," he said. All six of Blinky's eyes smiled.

"And so you shall!" he exclaimed. The archway closed behind them and Jim ran forward toward the blue, gasping in amazement at the beautiful staircase of glowing crystals.

"This is so cool!"

"Ah, but this is just the entrance. The true wonder will be the Heartstone, but young master, listen to me first."  
Jim, about to jump on the first crystal, stopped and turned around. Blinky looked very serious.

"The trolls of Trollmarket have never met a human in their own home," he said, "And I am certain that their welcome would be less than ideal. I will show you as much of Trollmarket as I can, but we have to be very careful about it. Only AAARRRGGHH and myself know of your presence here, and it must remain this way."

Jim nodded solemnly. Just like he needed to keep Blinky a secret from his mom, Blinky needed to keep _him_ a secret from other trolls. He thought it was kind of weird, since he was just a kid – how much damage could he do? - but he agreed to keep secret.

Blinky drew from one of his pockets a length of fabric and draped it over Jim – a cloak, like the one he wore for Halloween. Something was stuck on top of his head and he reached up to feel something like goat horns.

"Good. Stay close to me – AAARRRGGHH will provide us with distractions."

The larger troll had already gone down the staircase, and as Jim and Blinky descended he heard an excited calamity down below. When they made it to the bottom, all of the trolls there were crowding around to the left side; Jim and Blinky headed right.

Jim stuck fast to Blinky's side, the hood of his cloak drawn so much over his face that he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him, but he didn't think that anybody was looking at them. From under the hood he saw clawed feet and the edges of glowing tables and market stalls, shining crystals jutting out of the ground and signs written with blocky, squiggly writing.

Sometimes Blinky would push Jim a little, and they would stop close in front of a table, Blinky blocking Jim from view as footsteps lumbered or darted behind them.

It wasn't quite as fun as Jim had expected, until the ground slowly began to get lighter and lighter, the tops of Jim's sneakers illuminated.

Blinky put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and he gently pulled down Jim's hood. Jim blinked in the light, and almost gasped.

" _This_ is the Heartstone, master Jim," Blinky said softly. "It is the lifeblood of Trollkind. All trolls come from a Heartstone."  
Jim stared and stared until his eyes burned with the light. It was a crystal higher than a building, taller even than the buildings in the big city his mom had taken him to once to visit the zoo. It was in the middle of a huge, dark cavern, the walls of which were dotted with tiny lights like stars.

The Heartstone pulsed with warmth, and Jim smiled and closed his eyes, letting the heat wash across his face. There was a deep hum, like a singing drum, that he couldn't hear so much as he could _feel_ , somewhere in his chest. It was like having a second heartbeat.

"I confess, I wasn't sure if a human would be able to feel it," whispered Blinky.

"It's singing," Jim whispered back. Blinky's hand pat his shoulder.

"I am glad you are able to feel it," he said. "It is one of the most powerful Heartstones in the world, and trolls come from far and wide to find solace and comfort in its warmth."

They stayed and looked at the giant gem a few minutes longer, until Blinky pulled Jim's hood back up and led him back through the market.

"There are many places I would wish to show you, if you were perhaps a bit older," Blinky murmured as they walked. "The Hero's Forge being the first. It is a place for warriors, a training ground. Young trolls are often admitted to begin their craft, if they wish to bear arms and teeth, but for a young human – as small and fragile as your young are – I do not think it would be safe."  
"Are there swords like in your book?" Jim whispered, standing on his tiptoes to try and make himself heard. In the distance behind them, there was a big _BANG_ and several shrieks of indignation. A loud "SORRY!" echoed across the market.

"Some, yes. Most of the weapons collected for the Forge were collected across the ages, though we have a weapons-maker of our own. But the prizes of the collection were weapons wielded by our most famous warriors and champions."  
"Can't we go see them? Can I get a sword? I'm really responsible with my mom's kitchen knives."  
Blinky chuckled, but went silent very quickly. Jim only got a brief glance of tiny clawed feet before he was gently shoved between two green crystals.

"'Evening," he heard Blinky mutter.

"Whatever," said whoever was behind them, before their footsteps went away. Jim extracted himself from the crystals and peeked out to see a huge red troll stroll down the street.

They started walking again, and Blinky led Jim down a narrow hallway.

"In answer to your question: no. I will not be responsible for your loss of life or limb if you are given a sword longer than you are tall."  
Jim thought having a sword sounded really fun, but he didn't argue. Grown-ups said no to a lot of things, and sometimes you just needed to wait until they forgot about it before trying it behind their backs. Fact of life. Jim _was_ getting a _sword_ even if he had to sneak one out under his cloak.

When Blinky took his hood down, it wasn't light this time; it was dark, and it glittered like a hundred million diamonds.

"The market value of these gemstones fell around a decade ago, when a purer vein was found," said Blinky softly, "and this mine was abandoned. It is effectively worthless now, except as a beautiful site."

"It looks like stars," Jim whispered. The shaft continued up farther than Jim could see; once they were inside the large room, they were surrounded by sparkling blackness.

"Yes, and when you do this…"  
Jim heard Blinky shuffle with something, and suddenly there was light. The entire cavern suddenly was illuminated, almost blinding with the reflective light. Blinky twirled a glowing blue crystal over his head, the light from it bouncing off of millions of gems embedded in the walls of the mine.

"…Wow…"

They went to the other side of Trollmarket after leaving the mine, where Jim was introduced to Blinky's library. He'd seen more books at the Arcadia Public Library, but never so many that looked so _cool_ – ancient books that had leather covers and metal fasteners, books that had hand-painted pictures, actual _scrolls_ , books written in the weird, blocky writing that was all over the stalls in the markets, books stacked higher than Jim's head – it was a magic library, and Jim's arms were quickly loaded with half a dozen books that Blinky wanted him to read.

"It is only acceptable that I return your favor," Blinky said as he gave Jim more books, "Ah! This one is a personal favorite! A volume of epic poems dedicated to our best Trollhunters, and oh! If you wish to know more about trollkind, I would highly recommend this one…"  
Jim set his pile down on the floor.

"I might have to come back," he said. "I don't think I can carry all these back."  
"Ah, but not to worry, young master, AAARRRGGHH will help us – "  
A tremendous _CRASH_ suddenly startled them, and several trolls yelled outside the library. Jim automatically hid behind a pile of books while Blinky looked outside.

He didn't get very far, because a tall, pale troll with wide horns made him back up quickly.

"Blinkous Galadrigal, AAARRRGGHH has been making a mess over every area of Trollmarket. What in Deya's name has him so scattered today?"

"Vendel! Ah! Um! Er, I'm sure that it's nothing worrisome. If you'll excuse me, I need to, ah, organize my library – "  
"Naturally," said the pale troll, gesturing to the hoard of books in the room. "You haven't organized this library in two hundred years, of course _now_ is the ideal time to start. What are you two up to _now?"_

Jim was forced to crawl behind a desk when the pale troll walked past Blinky and started looking through the stacks of books.

"Erm, nothing at all! I just – if you could – please – "

The pale troll shooed Blinky aside with his staff and Jim had to make a quick shuffle around the desk, ducking down near the entrance to the library to avoid being seen.

"Blinkous, why do I smell _human_ in your library?"  
Blinky's hands fidgeted nervously behind his back. When the other troll turned around to look at him, he hunched in on himself and lowered his head.

"It's surely my books," he muttered quickly. "From the human's public library, if you recall, from earlier today – "  
"I _remember_ , Blinkous," said Vendel hautily. He stepped toward Blinky, making the smaller troll back up, toward where Jim was hiding. "Another catastrophe I'm surprised you survived. Whatever you and AAARRRGGHH are up to…"  
Jim didn't hear the rest, because he was forced to crawl out of the library as Vendel and Blinky got closer and closer to the entrance. He pulled his hood and attached antlers back over his head and tried to stay close to the wall, but outside the library it was very loud and confusing. Apparently a cart full of tv's had been overturned, and a lot of trolls were yelling at AAARRRGGHH, who was shaking his head and apologizing.

Someone bumped into Jim and pushed him over a rock – he stumbled and was jostled again. Trolls kept coming up to either help gather the tv's or to fuss at AAARRRGGHH, and nobody noticed when they almost ran Jim over. He finally made it to the edge of the crowd when he realized that he was completely turned around; he had no idea which way the library was, and without Blinky or AAARRRGGHH he had no-one to help him.

Jim's eyes started watering and he wiped them furiously, darting around a corner in search of the entrance of the library. Blinky had led them down the paths and roads; since Jim had his hood down, he'd relied on Blinky knowing where they were going, and hadn't been able to watch which roads they had taken.

The glow of the Heartstone was a distant warmth but Jim feverishly headed toward it. It was the only thing that he recognized in the strange underground realm, and as he began to really get scared he was relying on it to find his way again.

Dodging blindly through the markets, Jim clutched his hood down as far as he could as he ran. A few trolls yelled at him to slow down and he only went faster, terrified of what would happen if they caught him away from Blinky.

Chest and throat stinging from the effort, Jim ran until he turned the corner of a bridge and found himself on the edge of a cliff-face, the Heartstone shining from the other side of the chasm. He looked around until he found a stack of boxes to hide behind, and he slid down onto the ground, wrapping his cloak over his knees, with his hood pulled over his face completely.

There he sobbed, scared and tired and lost.

How was he supposed to get back to Blinky now? Maybe he could try to retrace their original steps, but he knew he'd just get lost again, and he was scared of leaving his spot now that he'd found a familiar landsite.

What _would_ happen if the other trolls found him? Blinky hadn't said anything specific, but Jim got the idea that they wouldn't be very nice. Would they eat him? Hide him away in a dark corner so that he never got home?

 _What if he never got home?  
_ He didn't know how long he sat there, hidden from everything in Trollmarket but the Heartstone's comforting light, but it was long enough for his tears to leave dry little salt trails on his sleeves. Various commotions came from different parts of the market, but Jim kept still and silent.

Until footsteps, soft but heavy, slowly tread around his box. Jim stayed where he was, barely daring to breathe.

 _Please be Blinky, please be Blinky,_ please _be Blinky…_

A hand touched the crown of his head, and he felt the hood being pulled back.

"I'm not going to hurt you," said a calm voice.

Jim looked up. A large bluish troll was crouched down next to him. He looked too big for the space behind the boxes, but he didn't get closer to Jim. To Jim's amazement, he was wrapped in a glowing suit of silver armor.

"My name is Kanjigar," said the troll softly. "Now, I must ask: what on Earth is a young human doing in Trollmarket?"

.

.

* * *

.

.

A/N: Blinky and AAARRRGGHH give me cavities and I hope they give you some too. I don't care if you take them as a ship or not, but there's going to be a lot of cuddles with this two; whether it's platonic or romantic is up to your impression.

Blinky and Jim are the best father and son team ever. Fight me.

I like to think that a good bit of Jim's insecurity comes from James Sr. making like a douchebag and leaving. _On Jim's birthday!_ And suddenly there's this adult who he connects with and then BOOM. Gone. Just like Dad. He hasn't quite gotten over it, but he will, and It's Gonna Be Big.

Blinky you are a horrible babysitter. You're supposed to _sit_ on the kid so you don't lose it, that's why it's called baby _sitting_ , you dork.

I remember next to nothing about my own childhood, but I'm trying to draw on what little I do remember. I totally would have wanted a sword and would have definitely gone behind an adult's back to play with one. My grandfather actually had two swords and I used to take them out when nobody was watching. Okay, now I kind of want to play with them again.

Up next: Blinky Is A Dad, Kanjigar doesn't deserve this shit, Jim goes home, and Barbara _really_ doesn't deserve this shit, not necessarily in that order. Thank you for being patient with me.


	3. Chapter 3

AAARRRGGHH pat Blinky on the back, rubbing circles between his shoulders as he panicked.

" _I…lost…THE CHILD."_

"Jim somewhere," said AAARRRGGHH. Blinky wailed in response.

"Indeed! He's _somewhere_ within Trollmarket and I have absolutely _no idea where_. Oh, what cruel mercies the fates have granted me, to lose such a young thing in such a roughened place! I should never have allowed him to come down here…"  
"Will find Jim," said AAARRRGGHH soothingly, although he honestly wasn't sure that it was helping. He'd been perfectly oblivious to anything happening, happy to cause mild chaos all over Trollmarket as a diversion while Blinky showed the tiny human around until Blinky came running up to him just outside the library, gasping that he had lost the whelp.

Apparently Vendel had cornered him, and to the best of Blinky's guesses, Jim was forced to exit the library to avoid being spotted. In the commotion that AAARRRGGHH had caused nearby the boy must have gotten lost.

They had traced back to the spots where Blinky took Jim, to no avail. Even AAARRRGGHH's nose had difficulty sniffing him out; with the cloak and fake horns Blinky had provided the child with, he now smelled more troll than human. After an hour of searching Blinky finally sank down on a chair on the edge of a stall, and refused to go any further without having a fit.

For all that AAARRRGGHH loved Blinky, the six-eyed troll certainly had a penchant for dramatics.

"So young…too soon…"  
"Not dead," AAARRRGGHH muttered.

"How can we know? He could have fallen down a mine! He could have fallen off of a bridge, or encountered a rogue gnome. Or have been _stepped_ on, for goodness' sake, he's certainly small enough."  
They had checked the Hero's Forge first, in case Jim had wandered off in search of a sword. The Trollhunter had been practicing there, but otherwise no-one else was in the Forge or the halls and armories attached.

"Maybe we should tell Vendel," AAARRRGGHH suggested gingerly. He knew that they would get into a lot of trouble, but it was better to have another pair of eyes to continue the search, wasn't it?  
Blinky sighed and hung his head.

"Yes, I suppose we should," he murmured. "Secrecy is of little importance now. If young Jim has become injured or killed because of my unwillingness to tell anyone about him, I should never forgive myself."

Blinky hopped off the chair and made for the Heartstone, AAARRRGGHH softly trudging behind him. He was a bit mystified about his companion's sudden attachment to the human whelp. Blinky had never had any particular like or dislike of children; babysitting Draal had been enough for them. On occasion he taught history and lore to the Trollmarket whelps and although he enjoyed teaching them, he didn't regard them with any more or less fondness than anybody else.

Perhaps it was the boy's human state. A complete blank slate; unknowing of _any_ history or traditions of trollkind, the boy was the perfect pupil. AAARRRGGHH and Blinky were sometimes charged with showing prominent visitors around the market, but this was different. Everything was new to Jim, every crystal, troll, and spoken word an unknown. Nothing that Blinky could prattle on about would be anything old to Jim.

Maybe it had been finding a kindred spirit in Jim. AAARRRGGHH enjoyed being in the library, and nothing gave him more pleasure than listening to Blinky read, but he had never been a reader himself. The books were too fragile, the pages too small, for AAARRRGGHH to go to the trouble, not when he had Blinky ready and happy to read whatever he might be interested in. Nobody else really came and just _read_ with Blinky, or talked with him about his researches. Blinky had AAARRRGGHH to chat about his interests with, but no one else.

Or maybe this wasn't about Blinky. He had told his companion, late in the night and the calm, how _still_ that house had been, how quiet. How happy the child had been to make a new friend. How the house smelled of sleep and sadness, a paradox of diligence and neglect. AAARRRGGHH had seen the boy's face when Jim first saw him, amazed and unafraid. The child in the quiet house wanted to know about swords and motors, and made friends with monsters in his back yard. He'd enjoyed the boy's enthusiasm for the adventure down to Trollmarket and how quick Jim was to make friends with him, but although he liked Jim he didn't find him much more remarkable than any other whelp.

Witnessing a more _fatherly_ side of Blinky emerge was interesting and amusing, and it made AAARRRGGHH curious about the young human who had brought it out. But in order to expand upon it, they first had to _find_ the whelp.

As the Heartstone loomed nearer AAARRRGGHH worried about Vendel's reaction. Surely he'd bar Jim from Trollmarket, and he'd probably forbid Blinky to visit him.

AAARRRGGHH had been friends with Blinky for centuries. He was the kind of troll who preferred to skip asking permission _and also_ forgo begging for forgiveness, if he could get away with it. Blinky could get hurt or seen, _again_ , if he tried to visit the whelp, especially if he did it secretly. AAARRRGGHH would support Blinky in whatever he tried to do, and he did not want things to get to a point where Blinky felt that he needed to do things without telling anyone. Vendel had been correct in his statement that their six-eyed friend got into more trouble than the Trollhunter.

As Blinky muttered to himself on the way to the Heartstone, AAARRRGGHH tried to think up convincing arguments to make Vendel see that rejecting Jim was a bad idea. The boy had already seen Trollmarket and its people, first of all. The damage had been done, so barring him wouldn't do much good. Not to mention that banning the child would upset Blinky's sudden parental emotions, and he'd been even more difficult for Vendel to deal with. Vendel was a practical troll; even if he didn't agree with a decision, if it was truly for the best, then he would support it.

AAARRRGGHH and Blinky made it to the bridge to the Heartstone just before being stopped by the Trollhunter. Kanjigar, donned in his armor, smiled at them.

"Just the trolls I was hoping to see," he said. "Blinky, AAARRRGGHH – I need you to come with me for a moment."  
Blinky emerged from his thoughts and startled.

"Master Kanjigar! Ah…well. We were just on our way to see Vendel but perhaps you would be more of use. We have need to call upon you."

Kanjigar, oddly enough, looked more amused than concerned.

"Let us speak in a more private place," he said, turning around and heading away from the Heartstone.

"I have something you may like to see."  
Blinky looked up at AAARRRGGHH, but he could only shrug. Kanjigar led them through the market and into the Hero's Forge, and that's when the smell of human hit AAARRRGGHH.

" _Jim_ ," he whispered to Blinky. His friend nodded and began to say something, but stopped, taking in a large breath.

Not only human. Blood.

" _Master Jim!"  
_ All three trolls sprinted across the narrow bridge and over the arena, following Kanjigar into one of the darkened antechambers. There, the tiny human was sitting in the middle of the floor, a sword the size of his body lying several feet away. AAARRRGGHH saw a smear of red blood on its edge and Jim's hand clamped over his thigh before Blinky nearly threw himself at the child. Kanjigar followed closely after.

"Master Jim, what _have_ you done to yourself! Here, we must stop the bleeding, perhaps we need a transfusion – your mother is a doctor, is she not? We'll take you to her immediately – "  
"It was foolish for someone as young as yourself to even _consider_ using one of these weapons – "  
"What were you _thinking_ , I _told you_ that you were too young and too fragile to be allowed a sword. How can we know that you haven't damaged yourself too severely? Surely this is far too much blood for a human so tiny to lose - "

"Blinkous, it's not that deep, we'll wrap it up and – "

"How could you have left him here, of all places? Alone!"  
The boy latched onto Blinky as if he'd never seen a friendly face, but AAARRRGGHH could see that his friend's concerned fuss wasn't helping the boy. Jim looked scared, both of his injury and the sudden yelling, and Blinky and Kanjigar's brash words just made his crying worse, even though he clung to the troll.

AAARRRGGHH muscled his way between Kanjigar and Blinky and pried the boy off of Blinky's arm, holding him close against his chest, with his hand acting as a barrier.

"Yelling not helping," he said to Blinky. Understanding and regret flashed in his and Kanjigar's eyes and AAARRRGGHH trudged out of the room.

He did not want to be holding this child. He had not smelled human blood, fresh and hot, in centuries. He did not. Want. To be holding. This. Child.

Jim buried his face in his chest and cried silently as they plodded through Trollmarket. Blinky and Kanjigar's furious but quieted fight on either side of him distracted him from the scent of unpleasant memories.

" _How could you have left him there by himself! He's but a child!"  
"How could you have brought him to our home? You know the dangers of exposure! Your invitation could haverisked the lives of everyone in Trollmarket – "_

" _Do not lecture me in irresponsibility when_ YOU _are the one who left a child known to wander off BY HIMSELF in an armory!"_

" _I wasn't to know that he would try to play with the weapons – "  
"If you recall, you had to pull more than one dagger out of your own son's mouth before he was out of diapers! Surely 'sharp things plus unsupervised children equals danger' is not an unfamiliar notion to you!"_

They lost Kanjigar before reaching the staircase, as Bagdwella called out to him and simpered about needing his help. The stern look he gave them very clearly conveyed that they _would_ be talking about this later.

AAARRRGGHH had to stop, just at the top of the crystal staircase, and he handed Jim to Blinky before he dropped might drop child in the middle of a panic attack. He shuffled away from the two and turned into the corner, smooshing his face into the wall. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes against the feel of the cold stone, rough against his nose and forehead. His fists were clenched and he hadn't realized; he spent a minute making his shoulders, arms, and hands relax.

" _Is…is AAARRRGGHH okay?"  
"AAARRRGGHH is a very complex troll, young Jim, and occasionally there are moments where he prefers to be alone."  
_He knew his tattoos weren't glowing. He wasn't angry; he wasn't _hungry_ – if he had been, he would have left immediately. The smell of human blood hadn't brought back memories of the _taste_ , as he had been scared it would, but the _fear_ , the screams and the helplessness and the pain, not from _them_ but from _him._ Even Gunmar's generals faced his violent and capricious temper daily, not to mention blows and beatings from other Gumm-Gumms. He had once been as small and as scared as Jim, trapped without help in an unknown place filled with monsters.

He made a vague noise in the back of his throat and Blinky plodded up behind him, knowing that he was ready for company. Three hands of stone-flesh and two of warm skin pat his back, and his shivers subsided. Remembered aches and agonies faded.

He turned back and found Jim's watery blue eyes watching him.

"You okay? I-I'm sorry I scared you."  
The child's misunderstanding placed a coal of warmth in his heart, and he smiled.

"Not scared anymore," he rumbled. Maybe Blinky had a point in being fond of this kid.

A quick peek out of the portal told them that sunrise was little more than an hour away. With any luck, they would get the child back home with minimal fuss.

Jim looked like he was trying to fall asleep, but AAARRRGGHH knew that his leg was paining him. Though the bleeding had stopped, it still was a concerning wound, and they went as fast as they could without jostling the child or been seen.

"I am sorry that your first visit had to end so _badly_ , young Jim," Blinky murmured, wrapping the boy in three arms as he took point. "It was never my intention for you to get lost, and I certainly would never have wished you harmed."  
"'S'alright," Jim said quietly. The tears had tried into salty-smelling tracks down his face.

"Does this mean I can't come back again?"  
AAARRRGGHH looked at the child in surprise. After getting lost, after getting hurt, he still wanted to come back? He'd thought that Draal had been the most stubborn child in existence, but maybe it was a general trait.

Blinky sighed, peering around the fence of someone's backyard.

"Perhaps it was a mistake," he said. "I did not take proper care of you, and neglected to think of the possibility of you coming to harm. Trollmarket is a dangerous place for you, and I should not have brought you down."

Jim started to struggle.

"No!" he said, looking up at Blinky with wide eyes. "But I didn't get to see everything! And Kanjigar was really nice, and I had a lot of fun!"  
"Young Jim, you are currently _bleeding_ all over my arms. This adventure was not a success."

Jim crossed his arms, staring silently in front of them. Blinky stopped suddenly and AAARRRGGHH bumped into his back.

"Master Jim, what in Deya's name is this?"  
The tiny hand not clamped around the wound on his thigh was holding a thick crescent of iron, which smelled of dormant magic.

"K-Kanijigar said to hold on to it for him," the boy murmured. Blinky took the gaggletack from the child's hand and glanced up at AAARRRGGHH. They had not even considered suspecting they boy to be a Changeling.

"I suppose he was only being cautious," Blinky sighed, tucking the totem into his pocket.

They turned a corner and were suddenly blinded by red and blue lights. Quickly they retreated behind a line of bushes.

There were human police cars in front of Jim's house, their sirens quieted but the lights flooding the boy's street. The inside of the house was lit, and AAARRRGGHH saw through a window a tall woman with red hair talking to two men in dark uniforms.

Jim wriggled and Blinky put him down, clamping a hand over Jim's should to keep him from rocketing off.

"My mom's in trouble," the boy protested. Blinky shook his head.

"It is more likely that she noticed your absence and notified the authorities. Master Jim, we cannot go further."

Jim looked between Blinky and the illuminated house, fear and worry coming off of him in waves.

"B-but what if she's really mad at me? What if the police take me away, w-what if she gets in trouble for losing me – "

Blinky's hand shook as he threw a questioning, determined glance at AAARRRGGHH. He knew what his friend was asking, and he nodded his assent.

"The time of secrecy is over, I'm afraid," said Blinky quietly. "Go to your mother, have your wound treated, and when you return home…we will be there."  
"What? Really? I can tell my mom about Trollmarket?"  
Blinky nodded. He knelt in front of Jim, putting another bloodied hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I cannot expect a child to keep so much a secret from his guardian, especially when he has been hurt. I doubt that your mother will believe you until she meets us, in any case, and will be unwilling to share what you have told her. When we meet, we will discuss what has happened and what should be best. I…"

He turned to the house. Through the window, Jim's mother looked like she was crying. Someone had put a blanket over her shoulders.

"If she decides that we not continue our friendship, we shall have to respect that. But do not worry about that now, young master Jim. Now, allow her to treat you, and we will finish with this when you are well again."  
"But Blinky…"  
"Go," said AAARRRGGHH gently, shuffling forward until he was beside his friend. "Don't worry."

They snuck around the backs of the houses until they came between Jim's house and the one next to it. Jim had to lean against his fence to walk, but he limped away from them with a determined look on his tiny face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?"  
Blinky nodded.  
"As soon as you are back," he said. Jim gave him a pained smile and wobbled away. AAARRRGGHH and Blinky retreated into the edge of the sparse woods.

Within a minute there was a commotion, and the sound of a woman's sobbing. They couldn't hear what was being said, but they could hear Jim crying again, and the sound wrenched at AAARRRGGHH's chest.

As they walked side-by-side back to Trollmarket, it occurred to AAARRRGGHH that they had not warned the boy against telling the human police about Trollmarket.

.

.

* * *

.

.

A/N: And here Jim's three Disaster Dads. Vendel is Less-Disastrous Grandpa, and Draal gets to be Disaster Big Brother. All the family for this poor kid. But seriously, these idiots.

Blinky wasn't immediately Spider Bookworm Dad as soon as he met Jim and I like that. He had, more or less, only slightly more than complete indifference about whether or not Bular ate the kid, and I think that he wasn't expecting much. Here's this skinny teenage _human_ , how much of a chance does he have? There's no point in getting emotionally attached. He is remarkably unconcerned about Jim's physical wellbeing the first few times they meet, most likely because he's expecting the kid to get killed soon anyway. I like that he's still trying his best to train him, tries to be kind and motivate him, and shows deference to his teenage human schedules and problems. It's only on the fifth episode that we see him start to show concern, and by the sixth he's actually personally attached to this idiot. _Then_ we get the birthday episode and he goes from Dad Friend to Dad in .3 seconds flat.

I'm not quite sure what Jim's reluctance was about the Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore. He's got a huge, stuffed bookshelf in his room, and he's reluctant to read a book about _troll fighting styles and history_? With _cool illustrations_?

Kanjigar is totally going to be one of Jimbo's numerous troll dads, but let's remember that he's actually a pretty crappy father. Whether or not he's actually a really good guy, he's shady AF, deliberately vague and unhelpful, tricksy, and a terrible dad. _Bular and Gunmar_ had a better father-and-son relationship than Kanjigar and Draal did, and they were in _different dimensions!_

I want to thank Shadowlit and Umi_Tatsuky for their advice about kids and what they're kind of stupid about. Bby Jimbo would definitely try out a sword, and if he freaks out about getting injured when he's a teenager, he sure would as a child.

Half of me wants to warn about Stranger Danger and the other half is excited about Jim and his troll dads. _We_ know that Blinky and AAARRRGGHH and everybody are actually good people, but still. And seriously, kids. Don't go off with strange people who say that they'll take you to magical places.


	4. Chapter 4

The library was closed to the public in light of the Trollhunter's angry tirade on the librarian. Trolls avoided Blinky's side of the market for a good two hours.

"You told the child _WHAT?"_

"Will explain to mother," said AAARRRGGHH patiently.

Kanjigar turned away from him and marched in a circle.

"You _cannot_ do so," he said firmly. "You have already done more than anyone in my tenure to expose Trollmarket to humankind, and now you want to drag another human into this?"

Blinky walked from behind AAARRRGGHH, where he had been pacing back and forth agitatedly.

"The secret could not be kept from his mother indefinitely," he said, "and it is better that we explain ourselves than to leave the poor woman's imagination to dream up whatever horrors it could concoct."  
"The best thing for you to do is forget the boy! Do not seek him out, and do not think about him! Let him and his mother worry all they like – within time, he will believe that all of this was just the result of childish creativity, and they will both write it off. Blinkous, please."  
Kanjigar reached past AAARRRGGHH and grabbed Blinky's arms.

"Do _not_ make me defend our home from an invasion of curious, fearful humans. The boy will forget you in time."  
"His injury will go unexplained – "  
"Then let it be unexplained. You do not have to concern yourself further with this. It is one human boy; a child, against the safety of Trollmarket. How is it that you cannot _see?"_  
He released Blinky's arms with a jerk, breathing heavily.

"Promise me that you will forget about the whelp."  
Blinky looked up at Kanjigar, and AAARRRGGHH knew instantly that he was going to lie to the Trollhunter's face.

"You are right, Master Kanjigar," Blinky said calmly. He bowed his head. "I promise."

Kanjigar exhaled, his shoulder tight with fury.

"Do _not_ lie to me, Blinkous. I will place you under house arrest for the next _century_ if I need to."

"Then I will spend a century defying you," said Blinky simply. "I will not abandon this child to a life of _making do_ with doubt and loneliness."  
"You knew the child for all of one day, Blinkous!"  
"And in one day, I saw that he had more strength of heart and compassion of character than half of Trollmarket," Blinky said angrily. "Through one simple act I am indebted to him, and I will repay that kindness as long as I am able. Jim Lake deserves more than for me to _forget_ about him."  
"But is his peace of mind – or yours, for that matter – worth the safety of your people?"  
Blinky stayed silent at that, and AAARRRGGHH knew that Kanjigar had made his best and final point. Blinky, who dedicated his life to destroying conspiracies and as many attempts to trouble Trollmarket as he could, could not pretend that he disagreed with the Trollhunter, even if he wanted to.

His friend crossed his arms and turned away, eyes searching hungrily over his books as though they would tell him what to do. Kanjigar, apparently satisfied, made to leave but AAARRRGGHH gently blocked his path.

"Do not tell me that you are in on this as well, AAARRRGGHH," he said sternly. AAARRRGGHH had the grace to look chagrined, but he smiled anyway.

"Go with us?"

.

* * *

.

.

Jim was released from the hospital the following morning, with twenty stitches in his thigh and a vase of flowers from the policeman who'd interviewed him buckled into the seat beside him. His mom was given the rest of the week off, and they picked up milkshakes on the way home from the hospital.

Jim sipped on his Chocolate Swirl as he watched the trees go by.  
His mom had found him missing at midnight, when she had been called in by the hospital and came to wake him up to tell him. She checked the house and the backyard, and then called the police. The police came and talked to her and the neighbors, and they brought special scent dogs just after Jim came back home.

He told the police that he'd heard something in the woods and went to see. His wound was from him tripping on a shovel. Nobody believed him, but they didn't find any other reason for him to have disappeared, and he was left alone.

He should have told them that he snuck into the woods to play pretend, and that the shovel was his sword; but he didn't think of that until they were already in the car.

Although guilt ate at his insides, he couldn't help but feel excited. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH were going to tell his mom what happened, and then he'd be able to visit Trollmarket again. He wouldn't mess up this time, though; he would stick to Blinky the whole time. Maybe he could get a mask at the Halloween store first, so that he could look around instead of having to hide his head.

Blinky was cool; Jim was confident that his mom would like him. And even thought AAARRRGGHH was really big he was really nice, too. Maybe his mother could come with them the next time they went to Trollmarket.

They made it home, and Barbara picked Jim up to carry him to the house, even though he could walk fine, but he knew that his mom had been really worried. She'd held him the whole night while he was in the hospital. Lying to her about what had happened hurt, but he wouldn't have to lie for much longer.

As soon as his feet touched the bedroom floor, he rocketed downstairs.

"Jim!"  
"I'll be right back!"  
Limping down the staircase as fast as he could go, he went downstairs and ran to the backdoor, throwing it open to let in his new friends.

They weren't there.

"Jim, what are you _doing_ , you can't be on that leg!"

Barbara swept him up even as he protested.

"No, Mom – I want you to see – "

"It's almost sunset," Barbara said, "I don't want you out after dark. You're lucky if I ever let you leave the house again!"

"It's…ohh…"

 _Sunset._ _That's_ why the trolls weren't there! It was still light out, so they had to stay in Trollmarket!

Jim stopped struggling, and allowed Barbara to tuck him back into bed.

"Now you stay there, mister," she said firmly. "I'll make you some soup. And don't give me that look, I'm just microwaving it."  
"I feel fine, Mom."  
"Well, that's just too bad," Barbara said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She smoothed Jim's hair down and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"At some point in time you're going to have to let _me_ take care of _you._ I don't know what happened and I wish you'd _tell_ me…"  
Jim looked away guiltily. They stayed in silence for a long while, and then his mom kissed the top of his head and left the room.

"I'll tell you in a bit," Jim whispered. The sky was already darkening. "Just a little bit."

Every book and toy he picked up held his interest for two minutes, no more. Jim read through half of one of his westerns, looking at the window at each page, before he put it down, the entire story escaping his mind.  
He rolled up his pajama leg and looked at his cut. It started right above his right knee, and ended about five inches up his thigh. Little black pieces of plastic-y threat dotted the angry red line. The doctors had given him little shots in his leg to make it numb, but it hurt now. He was supposed to keep a bandage over it, so he wrapped it back up and pulled down his pajama leg.

He'd been trying to lift a sword down from one of the racks on the armory wall, hopefully to try it out and put it back before Kanjigar got Blinky and came back. The sword, as tall as his entire body but the smallest one he could find, had been _really really heavy,_ and as soon as Jim managed to wiggle it off the rack it fell, coming down on Jim's leg. His mom said he was lucky he hadn't cut the sappy vein.

Saphy. _Saphenous_. He'd learned a lot about veins and muscles at the hospital. He'd even gotten a crutch, which actually wasn't _nearly_ as fun as he'd thought it would be.

It was black outside, so he threw his legs over the bed and stood up, grabbing his crutch to keep his mom happy.

He stomped down the stairs, crutch first and one at a time. Now that he'd already run on it his leg was hurting a lot more. The crutch made a funny _thud-bump, thud-bump, thud-bump_ on the staircase.

"Jim? Honey, don't come downstairs, I'll bring your soup up…"  
"Mom! I wanna show you something…"

He pulled up the crutch and hopped on one foot toward the back door. There was the faintest smell of smoke in the kitchen, but he passed by without looking.

"Jim, what – "  
"Just look at this, Mom."

Jim propped his crutch against the wall and yanked open the back door, quickly hopping down the stairs before his mom could catch him.

The backyard was empty.

Barbara grabbed him around the waist and lifted him straight off the ground.

"Jim, what is it about the backyard? Please, _please_ don't go outside after dark – "

"But they were supposed to be here!"

"'They'? 'They' who?"  
A cheerful voice sounded just beside them.

"Master Jim!"  
Barbara screamed and backtracked into the house, slamming the door and setting Jim down behind the kitchen counter. There was a confused commotion behind the door, and the handle jiggled.

"Master Jim…?"  
Jim's mom picked up the crutch, threw open the door, and swung it like a cricket bat. Blinky stumbled backward off the stairs, clutching his face.

"Blinkous!"  
Jim's mom screamed again and swung madly into the darkness. The crutch connected with something that flared with blue light, and it splintered in half. With a third and final scream, Barbara launched the broken crutch in the direction of the light and ran back into the house, closing the door and locking it.

Jim, watching in horror over the top of the kitchen counter, grabbed her hand as she picked up her cell phone.

"Mom, that's Blinky! He's nice!"  
"What? Jim, you _know_ that – "

A muffled conversation issued through the door.  
" _Blinky okay?"  
"What a violent woman! How could such a vicious termagant beget such a gentle child? Surely she is of a lineage of Furies!"  
"Blinky okay."  
"_Mom, it's okay!"  
Jim slid under her arm and opened the door against her protests.

AAARRRGGHH was patting Blinky on the back, looking rather concerned as something dark ran down his friend's face.

"Blinky, are you okay?"  
"Ah, young Jim! Merely disoriented, I assure you. We've come to talk to your mother, although I do believe she is a bit reluctant to converse."

Something shiny glimmered in the corner of Jim's eye, and he could just barely see Kanjigar in the darkness.  
"Jim Lake, may we enter the house?"

Barbara grabbed Jim again and pulled him back through the doorway, just as he nodded yes. AAARRRGGHH put a finger against the door when she tried to slam it closed again.

"Jim, what – who, _what_ are you? Stay away from my boy!"

"Madam, if I may explain – "  
"They're friends of mine, Mom! Blinky and me read books all day and then I went down to Trollmarket –"  
"You _what?_ What did you do to my child?!"

Blinky shrank back against AAARRRGGHH, who was still trying to get through the door. Kanjigar, in full armor, stood between Blinky and Jim's mom.  
"If we could talk without exchanging blows, please. I understand that this is frightening for you, but you must believe that we are not here to threaten the boy."

"I can't even believe this is happening! What _are_ you?"

"They're trolls, Mom!"  
Barbara shrank back against the kitchen counter, holding a shaking hand to her head. Jim, still hopping on one leg, gave her a tight hug.

"They're really, really nice, okay?"

Barbara sighed.

"Jim…"  
"Perhaps we could take this to the sitting room?" said Blinky. He took a hesitant step forward, but Barbara didn't freak out again. "Young Jim is injured, after all. Should he not rest his leg?"  
Jim was swiftly picked up, and his mom held him tight against her chest.

"He should," she said. "And when I find out who hurt my boy, they are _really_ going to get it."  
They walked to the living room, the three trolls following behind them and sharing concerned glances.

" _Get what? That sounds exceedingly unpleasant!"_

" _This is not going as smoothly as I had hoped, Blinkous…"  
_ Jim was set down on the couch, but his mom didn't sit beside him. She watched as the three trolls settled into the living room, and glared at each of them.

"You are going to _explain_ how you know my son, and how he got hurt, _now."_

AAARRRGGHH gently pushed Blinky half a step forward. He cleared his throat, four hands awkwardly clasped behind his back.

"Young Jim and I began our acquaintance early yesterday morning, when he saved me from certain death."

" _What?"_

Bolstered by a lack of further violence, Blinky took a step forward.

"We trolls are nocturnal by necessity, you see. When sunlight touches us, we are turned to stone, either injured or killed depending on how extensive the damage it. I had been visiting the public library and regrettably stayed out too late; sunrise was upon me, and the only reason that I am not dead today is because your son granted me mercy, and threw a bedsheet over me."  
Barbara turned to Jim with wide eyes, and he nodded eagerly.

"I saw him running through the backyard," he said. "And then I got him inside and he ate our recycling and we read all day."  
"Indeed," said Blinky. "Not only is your son kind of heart, but is stout of mind and character. We trolls have taken great measure to ensure humankind's ignorance of our existence, but I felt discomfited with the idea of ending our brief friendship so abruptly. When the night was late, I and my companion AAARRRGGHH returned to invite Jim to see Trollmarket, where the trolls of Arcadia reside."

AAARRRGGHH perked up at the mention of his name and waved.

"So, so, let me get this straight," Jim's mom said, finally sinking down onto the couch. "You are all from a society of _trolls_ living in secret somewhere in this town, and you snuck my child out of the house in the middle of the night to take him to this place?"  
"I assure you, madam, there was nothing untoward – "  
"And during the middle of this, Jim was hurt badly enough to need _stitches?_ What the _hell_ went on when he was with you?"  
Blinky backed up again as Jim's mother stood, even though he was a head and a half taller than she was and was backed up by two huge trolls.

"Jim's injury was not deliberate! His presence in Trollmarket had to remain a secret, for his own safety, but I…er…um, _Master Kanjigar, would you perhaps like to say a few words?"_  
Kanjigar, who had been watching with a tense patience, glared at Blinky.

"There is nothing much to say," he replied. "Young Jim was lost temporarily. I found him by himself and tasked him with waiting in a secluded room until I could locate Blinkous. While I was away the boy took it upon himself to play with a sword."  
"A _sword?!"  
"Which_ would never have happened if you hadn't left him _in an armory!"_ Blinky shouted, angrily gesturing at Kanjigar.

"I didn't think the sword was gonna be that heavy," Jim muttered. Barbara looked between him and the two arguing trolls.

"Alright, alright, just stop," she shouted. " _Both_ of you are at fault here. _You – "  
_ She poked a finger at Blinky, who quickly raised all four hands in surrender.

" – Should never have taken my son to a place that you knew was going to be dangerous for him. And you – "  
Kanjigar didn't step back, but he eyed Barbara warily. Jim thought it was awfully funny to see the trolls look at his mother with fear.

" – Should have known better than to leave a child alone in a damn _armory_. He nearly nicked an important vein in his leg, and he could have bled to death. I don't want to hear any excuses," she added, when Kanjigar opened his mouth. "There _is no_ excusing this. My boy got hurt, and both of your actions led to it!"

The two trolls looked thoroughly told-off. Barbara took a deep breath and put her hand on her hips, surveying the trolls. Her eyes landed on AAARRRGGHH.

"And what was your part in all of this?"  
AAARRRGGHH, although he looked rather startled to be put on the spot, smiled.

"Blinky's friend," he rumbled. "Made distractions while Blinky gave Jim tour. Good kid."

As if put at ease by AAARRRRGGHH's relaxed demeanor, Barbara's face softened.  
"He is," she said quietly. Jim sat forward on his seat when she walked back to him.  
"Is all this true," she asked. Jim nodded.

"I got lost," he said, "I was really scared 'cause I couldn't ask anyone where Blinky was, but Kanjigar found me and he was really nice and I didn't mean to hurt myself but I really, really wanted to see one of the swords even though Blinky said I couldn't. Um. Maybe you can come with us? Trollmarket's really cool."

"Another human…"  
"A capital idea!" Blinky said, shouting a bit to speak over the disgruntled Kanjigar.

"Although we shall have to think very carefully on how we approach this. The trolls below will not be receptive to us bringing humans into our midst, so the question is: do we introduce you two to the entirety of Trollmarket, or do we fight to keep this a secret from them as long as we can?"  
"Vendel must know, at the least," said Kanjigar.

"Vendel is the de-facto leader of Trollmarket," Blinky said to Jim and his mom. "He's one of five elders around the world. If anyone should know, it's him."  
"Is that the big troll that was in the library?" Jim asked. Blinky nodded.

"Indeed. He is rough in demeanor, but it hides a good heart."

Barbara crossed her arms and Blinky awkwardly looked away.

"Deep down," he muttered.

"You seem to assume that I'm letting you see my son again. You _snuck him out of the house_ , into a dangerous world full of _trolls_ , and he got hurt! There is _nothing_ I have heard so far that convinces me that I shouldn't kick you out of my house right now!"  
"Mom, no!" Jim shouted, jumping off of the couch. He wobbled, and his injured leg collapsed from under him. Three trolls and a skinny woman rushed forward to catch him, but Blinky was the one who got there first. Jim landed in a four-armed embrace and was gently settled back onto the couch, as his mom watched like a hawk.

"Are you alright," Blinky murmured. Jim, trying not to cry from the pain in his leg, nodded. Blinky sat down on the coffee table, his back stooped and head bent.

"I am sorry, young Jim," he said quietly. "It seems that our entire acquaintance has been made up of a streak of rash mistakes on my part."  
He looked up at Barbara, who knelt by the couch and helped Jim get more comfortable.

"I take full responsibility for what has happened," he murmured. "Kanjigar's actions are irrelevant to the fact that I took Jim to Trollmarket without thinking properly about his safety, or preparing for what might happen if he were lost or injured. _I_ am responsible for putting him danger, and I cannot make any excuse for that…only an apology."

Barbara sat up and leaned back on the arm of the chair behind her. She peered owlishly at Blinky, and then at Jim and the others. AAARRRGGHH shifted uncomfortably when she looked at him; Kanjigar didn't back down, but he briefly bowed his head in apology, and Blinky stayed utterly immobile, looking at Jim's mom square in the eyes, like he would take whatever punishment she had to dish out without moaning about it. Jim's heart raced; he had no idea what his mom would do or say.

He had _so hoped_ that she'd like his new friends, but this was going _horribly_.

Barbara looked at AAARRRGGHH for a moment longer, and turned back to Blinky and Kanjigar.

"You are _never_ to take my son out of this house without my knowing," she said darkly. Both trolls bowed their heads in agreement, but Blinky perked up hopefully.

"Should I assume that our acquaintance is not destined to end, then?"  
Jim's mom sighed, and shook her head.

"I'd rather you be friends with me knowing, than to have my son sneaking out behind my back. He's too young to go out without adult supervision and I am not convinced that _any_ of you qualify. My son is not going anywhere or seeing any of you without me being there too."  
"A just request," said Blinky. "To keep our friendship a secret from the boy's mother was, I admit, weighing heavily on my mind. It would not be fair to have the whelp keep secrets from you, especially when he as already been injured once."

"Hmm. That being said, I'm laying down some ground rules here and now."

Jim sat up happily, and when he grinned at his mother she gave him a tiny smile back.

"So…does that mean I get to go to Trollmarket again?"

Barbara briefly glanced at Kanjigar, and then nodded, her eyes tight with determination.

" _We_ are going to Trollmarket," she said.

.

.

* * *

.

.

A/N: Simple reminder that when human!Blinky was first in her house, Barbara elected to _beat the crap out of him_ before yelling or calling the police. When Angor Rot attacked, she _hit him with a shovel._ Barbara is not afraid to kick ass first, ask questions later.

That being said, Blinky's not nearly as much of a wuss as he makes himself out to be. Barbara hits him in the gut and the eyes and he goes down, yelling overdramatically. Not-Enrique shoots peas in his eyes and he goes down, yelling overdramatically. But when Dictatious punches him numerous times, pokes him in the eyes, spins him around to disorient him, and hits him again and again, he _taunts_ Dicky as if the goth-wannabe is tickling him. My personal favorite? "If I wanted to be tucked in, I would have CALLED _MOTHER!"_

Barbara's character has been so unexplored that it's really hard to get her voice down. Mostly we've heard her being an overprotective mom and nothing else. I'd like to know more about her interests and personality besides being a doctor and being a mom.

That being said, she is the only responsible adult in this group, I swear.

All hero-worship is thrown to the side when Kanjigar accidentally gets a kid hurt. I know that everybody in Trollmarket idolizes the guy, with Blinky being the head of the fanclub, but I think that this instance really kind of knocked Kanjigar down a peg in Blinky's opinion. Now he's not so much the best Trollhunter since Deya herself, but a busy idiot who left a kid alone with a bunch of swords.


	5. Chapter 5

Barbara did not keep wine or any alcohol that wasn't for medical purposes in the house after her one regrettable binge four years ago, when James first left. She wasn't a heavy drinker in any way – she hardly even drank socially – but when everything became overwhelming the temptation to just let all her worries float down a river of wine was mighty strong.

And hot _damn_ was it powerful now.

Trolls.

So _trolls_ were a thing.

Her son had twenty stitches in his leg because of _trolls_ and they all wanted him and her to visit them in their magical troll-land with swords and _trolls_ and it already sounded like an alcohol-induced dream, except that she was distinctly and distressingly sober.

It had taken a long time to get Jim to go to bed, even though he was tired after a long night and day being poked and prodded at the hospital. But Barbara needed to speak with her three visitors, and she wanted to do it without her young son listening.

The three trolls were quietly murmuring to themselves when she came back downstairs, some of her furniture shifted and the curtains drawn over every window. The biggest one noticed her, but didn't give away that she was watching them, and she observed for a minute, taking in their differing physiologies and personalities.

Kanjigar, it was clear, did not want any part of this, but he looked like he was duty-bound to go along anyway. Barbara wasn't sure what his part was – was he a bodyguard? A soldier? Who else would parade around in a glowing suit of armor? He deferred to Blinky at the moment but Barbara had the notion that he was only doing so out of respect for the other troll, especially since Blinky had introduced him as 'Master' Kanjigar.

The big one, the behemoth AAARRRGGHH, was the one who put Barbara the most at ease, once they had finally all simmered down enough to give him a proper introduction. He'd knocked into the bookshelf and hit his head against the ceiling more than once, but his huge hand was gentle on Blinky's shoulder and he smiled with his whole face. Barbara wasn't sure about his unusual speech – possibly a head injury, possibly just difficulty with a second language. He'd had the least to say, but he gave off the warmest presence.

But Blinky, now.

Blinky seemed the most concerned about Jim's wellbeing, but he had also chosen to take her son in secret into a dangerous troll population without thinking about the possible consequences. Jim clearly adored the troll, but for someone with so many eyes he was a bit of a blind idiot.

But he had taken responsibility for his actions, and seemed relieved at not having to keep himself and his companions a secret from Barbara. She knew that he had put himself in danger of punishment in keeping his friendship with Jim, and he had been prepared to accept her conditions as well as respect the possibly of her banishing him forever from visiting Jim. Out of the three trolls, Barbara felt that her son was safest around Blinky.

But that didn't mean that she actually _trusted_ any of them with her son.

Barbara marched up to the group, which separated when she approached. She ignored Kanjigar and AAARRRGGHH's huge mass, and stopped mere inches away from Blinky, who leaned back to avoid the finger she stabbed at his face.

"If my son _ever_ gets hurt on your watch again, you can be sure that I will learn everything about troll anatomy and _use it against you_. I've already identified four easy targets on your body and I will _hit every one of them_."

Barbara had to stalk forward as Blinky stepped backward.

"I assure you, you vicious harpy, violence is unnecessary! I wish no more for any harm to come to young Jim than you do!"

"And I would appreciate it if you would stop threatening my trolls," said Kanjigar dryly. "Their safety is my duty, and I _will_ protect them from you if I have to."

 _I've got two possible targets on you_ , Barbara thought viciously, picking out his exposed eyes and unarmored groin, though she was reluctant to say it out loud. He did, after all, have a sword strapped to his back, and she was only beginning her _krav maga_ classes.

She turned away from him, unable to think of anything civil to say. His protective abilities were seriously overestimated if he thought that putting a nine-year-old in an armory was a solid idea.

"Your restraint and understanding, as it is, is admirable," murmured Blinky when she looked back at him. "After what you have discovered this evening, I am admittedly surprised that you have not, as you humans say, 'given us the boot'."

Barbara smiled ruefully and gently squeezed between him and Blinky.

"Let me make you a cup of tea," she said. "Make yourselves comfortable, because we need to talk."

As she puttered around the kitchen she watched the trolls from under her lashes. AAARRRGGHH pushed her table and chairs out of the way so that he could settle comfortably on the floor, while Blinky sat down in the armchair. Given that he had apparently spent the whole day in the house, Barbara wasn't surprised that he was the most comfortable.

Kanjigar didn't sit, but stood near the wall, occasionally walking around the room, looking at her books and the photographs in the hallway.

She put four cups of tea on a tray and marched into the living room, passing the cups to everyone before sitting down on the couch, closest to Blinky. Kanjigar looked like he wasn't sure what to do with the miniscule teacup in his gigantic gloves, while AAARRRGGHH promptly ate his, saucer and all. Blinky sipped on his like a normal person, and she gestured for him to begin negotiations.

Of all the things Barbara imagined she'd go through in her divorce, she never thought she'd be arranging visitation rights for a _troll_.

There was a sudden _BUMP_ against the floor above them, and Barbara stamped her foot.

"James Lake Jr, go back to bed this instant!"  
A quick, one-legged hop echoed through the ceiling, and Jim's bedroom door shut. Kanjigar chuckled quietly.

"I can see why you like the boy, Blinkous."  
The six-eyed troll grinned.

"He does grow on a person. After even a day, I would consider him a good friend."

* * *

It was difficult to say whether or not the human woman thought that that was a good thing. Her face was surprisingly difficult to read at times, although Kanjigar admittedly had not spent enough time in the company of humans so as to _learn_ how to read them.

He knew that she was distrustful and he could not blame her. He could imagine what the situation looked like under her eyes: three enormous monsters, leading her son into danger. If the roles were reversed, and _Draal_ were the one in danger, he would…

…do nothing, as he had sworn to do. His son could not rely on him, and he had made it that way deliberately. Sooner or later, Bular would end up killing him, and he couldn't risk Draal coming to the same end because of his father's duty.

But Jim was a small child, son to a human woman who did not bear the responsibility of protecting her entire people.

…Or did she?

Kanjigar realized suddenly that having a human acquaintance could be incredibly useful; _she_ could go where he could not _. She_ could keep an eye out for Changeling activity. _She_ could be the key to getting a leg up on Bular.

Suddenly the idea of making friends with this human wasn't nearly as bad.

This could also make her and her son's introduction to Trollmarket significantly less difficult, if they spun it to Vendel that she was his new contact. But one thing had to be done first.

Kanjigar drew another gaggletack out of his pocket, to Blinky's indignant cry.

"Lady Barabara, would you mind holding onto this for a moment – "

"Master _Kanjigar!"_

The gaggletack did nothing, but it _was_ his job to check. He hadn't told anyone about the Changelings in Arcadia yet, to avoid a panic, but it was a constant concern for him. He wasn't sure who exactly to trust anymore, and he couldn't just smack every troll in the Heartstone with a gaggletack, not if he wanted to keep everyone calm for now.

But it did ease his mind to make sure that Jim and his mother were completely human.

The human woman waved the gaggletack around for a moment, and Kanjigar was suddenly very aware that he had just handed a violent woman a heavy piece of iron. He took it back before she felt the urge to use it.

"What was _that_ for?"  
Blinky chuckled nervously.

"Oh, heh, _that_. Is. Just a simple troll custom," he said quickly, "a left-over from the tenth century, where trolls would hand a horseshoe to a new acquaintance as a gesture of sharing the luck of the household – "  
"Forgot that bit," AAARRRGGHH muttered with a grin, earning a thrown glare from Blinky.

"It is a totem," Kanjigar said. "It ensures that you are not a Changeling, the specifics of which I will go into on another night. For now, I believe we are overdue in Trollmarket."

It couldn't be past midnight, but he was eager to go on patrol and the longer they stayed out, the harder it would be to get AAARRRGGHH and Blinky back into Trollmarket without drawing the attention of Bular.

"Well, you're welcome to leave," said Barbara, standing impatiently. "But I'm not finished with Blinky."

The troll in question looked rather unhappy at the notion of being the singular point of the woman's attention, and Kanjigar wasn't happy himself with her continued control of the conversation. But he wasn't ready to reveal to Barbara why the night was dangerous, not yet. She needed time to process, and to simmer her temper. He would visit her another evening, and tell her his proposition.

"I am unsure what else to say," Blinky admit. "Our continued friendship with Jim is at your prerogative. But may I suggest: we do not limit the relationship to just the whelp? Though my face still hurts from your previous assault, you have proven to not just be swift of arm but of wit as well. Our friendship with Jim does not have to come with the exclusion of his mother."  
Barbara smiled softly, and Kanjigar knew that she was struck. Blinky's gentle manner and quiet sincerity had charmed many a violent heart, as evidenced by the behemoth sitting beside him.

"Both of us care about Jim," he continued gently. "He is all the better for our cooperation and friendship."  
Just on the edge of hearing, there was another muffled _thud_ on the floor above, followed by a quiet 'ow'.

Both Barbara and Blinky were up in an instant. Blinky was closest to the stairs but Barbara's long legs overstepped him, and he was forced to stomp after her. Kanjigar didn't follow for a moment, but looked over at AAARRRGGHH, who happily munched on Barbara's wooden tray now that she couldn't see.

"What are your thoughts on this, old friend?"

AAARRRGGHH examined the dwelling with practiced eyes, his ears pricked to the concerned conversation upstairs.  
"Blinky never wanted kids," he said. Kanjigar narrowed his eyes. Even after centuries of knowing the two, he still wasn't _quite_ sure what exactly their relationship entailed. They were unusually close, even for the closest of friends, but he had never seen anything that definitely indicated something _other_. Certainly nothing that would have precluded the desire to raise a child together, although – if either troll were to do so, Kanjigar could never envision one doing so without the other.

"Likes Jim. If Blinky wants family, Jim family."

He struggled for a moment, and then gave up on English. " _I've never seen him act parental before, but he cares about the whelp. I'll support him. Jim is a good kid."_

Kanjigar nodded, bending an ear to the muted words of said troll on the floor above, chastising the child for sneaking out of bed at the detriment of his own health. Both Blinky and Barbara were assuring the boy that no friendships had been dissolved and no trolls had been banished from the house. The boy uttered a 'goodnight' to both adults.

Having one of his trolls proclaim himself in all but words the father of a human whelp was a complication and situation that Kanjigar had never anticipated on experiencing. Much less from _Blinky_.

As long as nobody got hit with a crutch again, he would be happy.

Stepping carefully up the stairs, he witnessed what seemed to be the peaceful closing of negotiations.

"It _is_ past time for us to return," Blinky was saying. Kanjigar was extremely bemused to see Barbara put her hand upon his arm.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I guess tomorrow night will be okay?"

"Quite agreeable," the troll replied. They both noticed Kanjigar watching them from halfway up the stairs.  
"Shall we, Master Kanjigar?"  
AAARRRGGHH did not seem surprised to see Blinky and Barbara chatting amiably, and Kanjigar respected his lead, falling once more to the shadows as they left the house with the promise to return. Barbara waved them out, the light from the house illuminating the open doorway, but just as the door closed he saw the remains of conflict in her eyes.

" _Please_ tell me I haven't made a huge mistake," he heard her mutter, just as darkness once more reigned the night.

* * *

A/N: Barbara was surprisingly gung-ho about Jim hanging around with Strickler and _inviting his 'guidance counselor' into his house_ , for such a protective parent. From personal experience I'm a little nervous about teachers taking such special interest in their students, but perhaps Arcadia is a relatively safe and trusting town. Poor Barbara, having to mediate an agreement to give a strange troll the self-chosen role of 'new dad'.

Also, there are two people you don't want to piss off: the people who serve you food, and the people who serve you medicine. Doctors and nurses know where everything hurts the most and what exactly will trigger it in just the right way.

Very tiny nod to the book at first, if you can spot it. Book!AAARRRGGHH! had a rock embedded into her head by Gunmar the Asshole, causing her not-so-eloquent speech.

I am so prepared for Barbara and Blinky to be besties, but Barbara's got a little distrust to get through first. She's also very difficult to write. Little tip: when you're stuck, make something unexpected happen or change the POV. That's why we heard Jim sneaking around upstairs, the change to Kanjigar's POV, and Jim falling and hurting himself. If you can't think of a way to continue what you wrote, don't. Interrupt your writing and go on from there.

Personally, Kanjigar is not my favorite. I know that he deeply loves his son, but I don't agree with his decision to cut Draal out of his life, and we – and Barbara – will definitely be exploring that. As for his decision to make Barbara a contact, we've seen him be very resourceful and willing to use people when he thought it necessary.

I told you the BLAAARRRGGHHY ship would be up to interpretation, and it still is. Two bros can raise a kid together, you don't know their life.


End file.
